Olena Harmash
KYIV - Ukraine's state arms producer said on February 15, 2023, it had launched joint production of artillery shells with a central European country that is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), and that it plans to develop and produce other arms and military hardware with its allies.
Ukroboronprom, which did not identify the Nato member state, said it had started producing 120-mm mortar rounds – ammunition that is in high demand in Ukraine as it battles Russian troops which are pressing on with the invasion that Moscow began a year ago.
"The emergence of this shell is the first product of our joint co-operation with a country from the (Nato) alliance. It will not end with shells, we will soon show you other products produced with partner countries," Ukroboronprom spokeswoman Natalia Sad told a news briefing.
"This is the onward movement and integration into co-operative chains with the North Atlantic alliance."
She said she would not identify the Nato country that Ukroboronprom was working for security reasons, although she confirmed that it was in central Europe.
Sad said Ukroboronprom had increased production on different types of military equipment by five to eight times last year compared with 2021. Companies were working around the clock to produce ammunition and keep supplies flowing, she said.
Ukraine has also depended heavily on weapons and ammunition supplies from its Western allies during the war.
She said 10 Ukroboronprom staff had been killed while at work during the war, with Russia constantly shelling arms production facilities. Some of the facilities had been completely destroyed, she said, forcing the company to move production to safer areas.
Sad said mobile repair teams were carrying out 90-95% of all repairs of military equipment and armoured vehicles near the frontlines. When the damage was severe, equipment was sent to the production sites.
"We manage mostly on our own, but we are expanding this with the help of our partners because we want it to be even faster,” she said.
REUTERS